Thirty-five people have been injured in collisions involving police cars in the county during the past year.

Figures released by Thames Valley Police show one member of the public was seriously injured and 20 others slightly hurt on Oxfordshire's roads between April 1, 2000, and March 31 this year. Fourteen police officers also sustained slight injuries.

The serious injury occurred to a passenger in a car being chased by police in Ashmole Place, Blackbird Leys, Oxford, in March this year when the car crashed in a narrow passageway.

These collisions and other damage sustained by police cars resulted in the force making 233 insurance claims. The incidents involved 116 vehicles belonging to members of the public and 189 police cars.

Speaking at a recent Thames Valley Police Authority meeting, Assistant Chief Constable Paul West said: "We have a real problem with minor accidents in Thames Valley and our insurance premiums reflect that."

Insp Malcolm Collis, head of traffic specialist units, said: "A collision can be recorded as a police collision when a police car is directly involved. It can also be classed in this way if the vehicle is only in the vicinity of a car involved in a collision, for instance in a pursuit situation.

"If a police driver is at fault, he or she will be subject to our driver permit system.

"This is a driving licence within the service which can have penalty points awarded to it.

"This may result in the police driver being suspended from driving and sent for refresher training.

"Accidental and criminal damage to a police vehicle - such as someone scratching the car - is also recorded as a claim."

Sgt Brian Smith, head of Thames Valley Police's driving school, said police drivers undergo rigorous training to a national standard agreed across all UK police driving schools and with the Association of Chief Police Officers.

He said: "A general police driver will have been through a three-week training course.

"Two weeks will be spent enhancing their driving skills and one week will concentrate on driving with sirens and lights, blues and twos, and response driving.

"Their skills are honed to the limit. They are really put through the mill."